Weight indicating and printing mechanism



Feb. 23, 1937. JHJERQME 2,071,406

WEIGHT INDICATING AND PRINTING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 23, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 A60 J Jerome INVENT R AMAQQ ATTORNEY Feb. 23, 1937. A. J. JEROME WEIGHT INDICATING AND PRINTING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 23, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 -F Trill I II I I I I I I I I Ul l Hfi T N E V m ATTORNEY Feb. 23, 1931. J R ME- 2,071,406

WEIGHT INDICATING AND PRINTING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 23, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet s A/m (1 Jerome INVENTOR ArrbRuEY Patented Feb. 23, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WEIGHT INDICATING AND PRINTING MECHANISM Application September 23, 1935, Serial No. 41,739

7 Claims.

This invention relates to weight indicating and printing mechanisms, and one of its objects is to provide weight indicating and printing mechanism having a large number of indicating and printing indicia on a comparatively small printing disk.

Another object of the invention is to provide load-counterbalancing mechanism with a printing disk so connected thereto, by means of a single rack and comparatively large pinion, as to turn through a plurality of revolutions.

Another object of the invention is to provide weighing mechanism having a printing disk so connected thereto as to be given a combined translative and rotative movement.

Another object is to provide a disk bearing a spiral series of indicia, with a combination of means for so moving the disk that such indicia are selectively brought into required position.

Another object is to provide weighing mechanism with a disk having a spiral series of indicia and so connected to the weighing mechanism as to have combined translative and rotative movement, and auxiliary means for selectively moving said indicia exactly into required position.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, in which reference is had to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein similar reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings:

Figure I is a rear elevational view of the upper part of an automatic weighing scale frame showing automatic load-counterbalancing mechanism having a printing disk connected thereto for combined translative and rotative movement;

Figure II is an enlarged elevational view, with parts broken away and parts in section substantially on the line IIII of Figure I, showing printing mechanism and auxiliary exact-positioning means in co-operative relation to the printing disk;

Figure III is a further enlarged front elevational view taken on the line IHIII of Figure II;

Figure IV is a fragmentary front elevational view of the disk which forms an element of my invention;

Figure V is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view taken from the position indicated by the line V-V of Figure I; and

Figure VI is a wiring diagram showing electrical circuits and electrical apparatus incorporated in the printing mechanism employed in the device of my invention.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the weighing scale frame includes an upright column or standard, a fragment I of which is shown in Figure 1. Supported thereon is a circular housing 2, within which is fixed a sector guide 3 having flexible metallic ribbons 4 depending from fastenings 5 by means of which the ribbons are secured at their upper ends to the sector guide. Secured to the lower ends of the ribbons 4, by means of fastenings 6, are fulcrum sectors I which are parts of rigid pendulum assemblies that also include power sectors 8 and pendulum weights 9. A pair of flexible metallic power ribbons l0 overlie the curved faces of the power sectors 8 and are secured thereto, at their upper ends, by means of fastenings II. The lower ends of the power ribbons II) are secured to a yoke l2 which is connected by means of a hook l3 to a lever I4, the lever I4 in turn being connected by means of a rod l5 to the loadsupporting lever mechanism (not shown) of the scale. Pivotally supported by means of ball bearings IS on axes lying at the centers of curvature of the fulcrum sectors 1 is a floating frame l1 and journaled in the frame I! by means of ball bearings I8 is a rotatable shaft l9 upon which is fixed a pinion 20. Fixed upon the forward end of the shaft I9 is a thin, light disk 2| which has a spiral series of raised printing indicia 22 etched or otherwise formed upon its face and which is provided also with a parallel series of indicating indicia 23. A rack 24 is pivotally connected at its lower end to the yoke l2 and meshes with the pinion 20, being gently held in engagement therewith by the effect of gravity on a small weight 25 and prevented from jumping out of engagement by roller 26 which is carried by the floating frame l1 in juxtaposition of the back of the rack 24 but normally out of engagement with the rack.

When a load is placed on the commodity-receiver of the weighing scale a downward pull is exerted on the rod l5 and the force of the pull is transmitted through the lever M, the hook I3 and the yoke l2 to the power ribbons III, which act upon the power sectors 8 to swing the pendulum weights 9 outwardly and upwardly until the load on the commodity-receiver is counterbalanced. As the pendulum weights 9 swing outwardly and upwardly the fulcrum sectors 1 roll upwardly on their supporting ribbons 4 and the ball bearings l6 at the centers of curvature of the fulcrum sectors move vertically upwardly, thus carrying vertically upwardly the floating frame H, the shaft l9, as well as the pinion and disk 2i which are fixed upon the shaft l9. Meanwhile the yoke I 2 and the rack 24 are pulled downwardly, and, since the rack 24 is moving in a downward direction, while the shaft I9 moves in an upward direction, the pinion 2t, the shaft 19 and the disk 2| are rotated through more degrees of revolution than would be the case if the rotation were due to the downward movement of the rack alone or to the upward movement of the shaft l9 alone. The parts are so proportioned that when the pendulum weights 9 swing from zero position to full capacity position, the pinion 2U, shaft l9 and disk 2| are rotated through two full revolutions, and because of the large relative movement of the rack and pinion, such double rotation is effected with the use of a comparatively large pinion, thus minimizing wear on the rack and pinion and rendering inappreciable the effects of slight Variations in the form of the rack and pinion teeth.

Mounted upon the scale frame, as best shown in Figure II, in position to print records from the raised indicia 22 of the disk 2|, is a printing device of the type illustrated and described in United States patent to Williams No. 1,864,570. The printing device consists principally of a solenoid 21 which acts through toggle links 28 to press a platen 29 and an abutment 3!) toward each other on opposite sides of the printing disk 2!. Between the platen and the printing disk are an inking ribbon 3! and a strip of paper 32. As the platen and abutment frame move toward each other on opposite sides of the disk the inking ribbon 3| is pressed against the paper strip and the paper strip is pressed against the raised indicia 22, while pressure from the opposite di rection is exerted upon the disk by the abutment 30. The effect of thus squeezing the inked ribbon and paper and the disk together is to cause to be imprinted upon the paper an inked impression of whatever raised indicia are between the platen and abutment. The spiral series of indicia 22 is so located on the disk 2| that as the disk rotates and moves upwardly, the indicia, beginning with the zero indicium, are successively carried between the platen and the abutment.

In order that the printing operation may not take place while a portion of the disk intermediate between two adjacent indicia is in printing position, I have provided auxiliary final indicium positioning means which is carried by the floating frame ll. The positioning means includes a bracket 33 to which is fixed a horizontal guide 34. Carried by the bracket 33 is a magnet 35 having a pivoted armature 36 to which is fixed a depending arm 31 connected at its lower end, by means of a link 38, to a channel member 39 which is supported upon and is movable longitudinally of the guide 34. In order to minimize friction between the guide 34 and channel member 39, bearing balls are interposed between them. Fixed to the channel member 39 is a flanged plate 40 and mounted in openings in the flanges of the flanged plate are plungers 4i having coneshaped ends which, when the magnet 35 is actuated, are pushed against the disk 2|. The disk 2| is provided with a circular series of openings 2 which are so spaced and located relatively to the location of the plungers 4! that the coneshaped end of at least one of the plungers will always engage in one of the openings 42. The plungers are slidably mounted in the flanges of the flanged plate lil and are yieldably held in extended position by means of springs 43. The ends of two of the plungers are rounded, as indicated at 44 and 45 of Figure III, so that if one of the rounded ends should enter one of the openings 62 at the same time that one of the unrounded ends enters another opening, the rounded end will be cammed out of its opening and the unrounded end will act to exactly position the disk. The positioning device is not, per se, of my invention and I have described it, therefore, only in such detail as will serve to show its function in the operation of my device.

In order to provide a visible indication of the weight on the scale, a window provided with a magnifying lens 46 is located in front of the series of indicia 23. When one of the series of indicia 22 is in position for printing, an indicium of the same value in the series 23 is visible through the lens 46. An index 47 is provided to show which of the indicia 23 is to be read, and the indicia are illuminated by means of a lamp 48.

Alternating current from a source of power G (see Figure VI) energizes the lamp 48 and is supplied also, by means of a wire 49, to a rectiiier 5E. The return circuit from the rectifier 5d includes the wire 5! leading from the rectifier to the transitory switch 52 which is connected to the other side of the generator by the wire 53. .Hence, when the transitory switch 52 is closed, the rectifier 56 is energized and direct current from the output side of the rectifier passes through the wire 54 to the primary relay 1 and thence, through the wire 56, the connection 51, the wire 58, the magnet 35, the switch the connection 6i and the wire 52, back to the rectifier 5i Passage of the direct current through the primary relay 55 closes the switch 53, thus maintaining the alternating current supply to the rectifier after the opening of the transitory switch 52 which takes place automatically shortly after it is closed, and passage of direct current through the magnet 35 moves the plungers 4| forward to accurately position the disk and closes the switch 64, thus energizing the solenoid 21 which actuates the toggles 28 to force the platen 29 and abutment 30 toward each other and thus cause a printed record to be made on the paper strip 32. One side of the switch is connected to the solenoid core, so that as the core approaches the end of its stroke, the switch BI] is opened, thus de-energizing the primary relay 55 and the magnet 35. De-energization of the primary relay 55 opens the alternating current circuit to the rectifier 50 and de-energization of the magnet 35 opens the circuit through the coil of the solenoid 21, permitting the solenoid core to descend and re-close the switch 60. The electrical circuits and electrical apparatus thus are returned to the condition in which they are shown in Figure VI.

The embodiment of my invention herein shown and described is to be regarded as illustrative only, and it is to be understood that the invention is susceptible to variation, modification and change within the spirit and scope of the subjoined claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, in combination, automatic load-counterbalancing mechanism, said automatic load-counterbalancing mechanism having a point movable in a straight line under the influence of loads counterbalanced thereby, a disk having its axis connected to said automatic load-counterbalancing mechanism at the point which is movable in a straight line, whereby said disk is given translative and rotative movement by movement of said automatic load-counterbalancing mechanism, a spirally arranged series of readable indicia on said disk, and means for rendering visible certain of said readable indicia indicative of weights of loads counterbalanced by said loadcounterbalancing mechanism.

2. In a device of the class described, in combination, load-counterbalancing pendulum mechanism, said pendulum mechanism having a point movable in a straight line under the influence of loads counterbalanced by said pendulum mechanism, a disk, means connecting the axis of said disk to said pendulum mechanism at the point which is movable in a straight line whereby the axis of said disk is moved with said point, and means for causing said disk to rotate during such movement, said disk being provided with a spirally arranged series of indicia which are successively moved through a given position during movement of said disk.

3. In a device of the class described, in combination, load-counterbalancing pendulum means, a disk bearing a spirally arranged series of indicia, means for connecting said disk to said pendulum load-counterbalancing means to move the axis of said disk in a straight path upon movement of said pendulum load-counterbalancing means, and means for causing said disk to rotate during such straight path movement of its axis whereby the indicia of said spirally arranged series are successively moved through a given position.

4. In a device of the class described, in combination, load-counterbalancing pendulum means, a disk bearing a spirally arranged series of indicia, means for connecting said disk to said pendulum load-counterbalancing means to move the axis of said disk in a straight path upon movement of said pendulum load-counterbalancing means, means for causing said disk to rotate during such straight path movement of its axis whereby the indicia of said spirally arranged series are successively moved through a given position, and auxiliary means for exactly positioning said indicia.

5. In a device of the class described, in combination, automatic load-counterbalancing mechanism, a rotatable shaft, means connecting said rotatable shaft to said load-counterbalancing mechanism to move said shaft transversely, a disk fixed to said shaft, and means operable upon such transverse movement of said shaft to rotate said disk, said disk bearing indicia arranged thereon to be successively moved through a given position by such transverse and rotative movement.

6. In a device of the class described, in combination, automatic load-counterbalancing mechanism, a rotatable shaft, means connectin said rotatable shaft to said load-counterbalancing mechanism to move said shaft transversely, a disk fixed to said shaft, means operable upon such transverse movement of said shaft to rotate said disk, said disk bearing indicia arranged thereon to be successively moved through a given position by such transverse and rotative movement, and means for printing records from such indicia.

'7. In a device of the class described, in combination, automatic load-counterbalancing mechanism, a rotatable shaft, means connecting said rotatable shaft to said load-counterbalancing mechanism to move said shaft transversely, a disk fixed to said shaft, means operable upon such transverse movement of said shaft to rotate said disk, said disk bearing indicia arranged thereon to be successively moved through a given position by such transverse and rotative movement, means for printing records from such indicia, and auxiliary means for exactly positioning said indicia for printing.

ALAN J. JEROME. 

